Opened time capsule brings out the stories

What was inside the time capsule from the former Lincoln elementary school building was from the early 1930s. People who attended the opening ceremony Sunday remembered other times from the school.

Members of the Union County Historical Complex opened the capsule which was removed from the school as demolitionsof the building is ongoing. The site at 1001 W. Jefferson St. is being converted into multi-residential living.

“It doesn’t look like you have to ask where you went to school,” historical complex member Dick Anderson told the audience to begin the event. After the history of the building was read, the metal box was opened by Steve Francis. Inside were Creston News Advertiser newspapers from May 16, 1931, May 18, 1931, Sept. 28, 1931, plus what was assumed to be a list of staff and students from the time.

Because of the condition of the paper of the list of names, it was difficult to read. One of the newspaper’s front page stories was legalities over Hoover Dam which began construction in 1930. All of the items in the capsule are expected to be displayed at the historical complex.

The building opened January 1932 after voters approved a bond to pay for the new building. The former Lincoln school building was condemned. A church and the junior high at the time were used for classes during construction. Creston school enrollment then was about 2,000. Today it is about 1,300.

The new building was designed for eight classrooms, a gymnasium that included a stage and office space, all on one level. An addition was built in 1962.

Even though the items within the capsule may not have been rare or extremely unique, stories were told about the school from audience members. Jackie Oshel attended the school in the 1960s and lived in a neighboring house. Her father John was the school janitor. Jackie said she remembered when her father would be on the school building’s roof on Halloween and startle kids walking down the street. Jackie said it was common for the kids to drop and leave their bags of candy, only for her dad to take the candy home. Jackie said she spent part of her working

years in speech therapy at the school.

The opening event was a meeting place for LeAnn (Skarda) Dodge and Carla (Stewart) Hosch. Dodge lives in Monticello, Minnesota, and Hosch lives in Mountain Home, Arkansas. The two met in 1977 in fifth grade at Lincoln over a dropped circus peanut, a piece of candy. Hosch had just moved to Creston because of her father’s work. The two agreed how attending school then had a different environment than today. Creston had multiple elementary schools spread across town. It was typical for students to know the people they went to school with more than other kids in town. Those relationships didn’t happen until junior high, high school or maybe had already happened at church or other social function.

Lincoln closed in 2005. Today, Creston public school students are within two buildings; one for the elementary and middle school grades and another for the high school. Preschool attends at the Early Childhood Center which is being moved to the elementary/middle school building next year.

Historical complex member Sharon Snodgrass introduced Midge Scurlock, 90, who may be the oldest living former student of Lincoln. She attended in 1939 at the age of 5. She remembered how the women teachers were not married and wore very conservative clothing. She also noted how the students were to have good penmanship. Scurlock said her daughter also attended Lincoln.

Snodgrass invited Avis Hainline of Osceola. Snodgrass said Hainline may be the oldest living teacher from Lincoln. Hainline was not able to attend but sent a letter stating her pride for teaching third grade and seeing the successes in all the students and working with the staff.

Pam (Hundley) Ireland told stories of brother Jeff Hundley who has been involved with college football’s Sugar Bowl. She said Jeff played kickball and had kicked the ball hard and far enough to break one of the school’s windows. After the window was replaced, he again broke a window playing the game. Pam spoke highly of the school and staff and how both benefited many.

“You realize what you had in Creston, you don’t get anywhere else,” she said.